Download - IGW- Global poverty
1 IGW : Global Gender Issues
POVERTY Written by: Zarah Khan
2 IGW : Global Gender Issues
“The test of our progress is not whether
we add more to the abundance of those
who have much; it is whether we provide
enough for those who have too little.”
― Franklin D. Roosevelt
3 IGW : Global Gender Issues
Objectives
1. Know the factors that influence poverty
2. Understand the distribution of wealth
3. Understand childhood mortality rates
4. Compare Australia with the rest of the world
“FREEDOM FROM WANT – an end to extreme poverty”
World leaders committed themselves to “spare no effort” in reducing extreme poverty in the
Millennium Declaration of 2000, but with the 2015 deadline coming up quickly, how close
are we to achieving this goal?
What is poverty?
Poverty is the state of lacking money, material possessions or means of support. Extreme
poverty is lacking in basic human needs such as food, water, sanitation, clothing, shelter,
healthcare and education.
Activity
Q When you hear the word ‘poverty’ what are the first 3
things you think of?
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Factors that influence poverty
Access to clean water and sanitation
Agricultural land and crop yield
Access to electricity
Access to healthcare
Immunisation rates
Education level & literacy rate
Population growth and age distribution
Prevalence of infectious disease
Industry development
Road development
Income level & rate of unemployment
Government debt
U5MR = the under 5 mortality rate
In 2010 7.6 million children died before their 5th
birthday. Most of these children lived in the
developing world in extreme poverty.
Child mortality rate is a measure of:
Income and food availability in the family
The availability of safe drinking water and basic sanitation
The level of immunisation
The nutritional status and health knowledge of mother
Availability of maternal and child health services
The overall safety of the child’s environment
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The World’s Wealth
80% of people live on less than $10 per day. If you own a refrigerator, sleep in a bed, have
more than 2 sets of clothing, and have a roof over your head at night you are richer than
75% of the world’s population. Only 12% of people own a computer, and only 8% have
access to the internet.
20% of the world’s population account for 75% of the worlds wealth
Each year approximately $1.24 trillion US is spent on military activities and weapons, but
only $100 million is given as aid to developing countries. The wealthiest nation on Earth, the
United States, has the widest gap between rich and poor.
Poverty in developing countries
In developing countries, 75% of people live on less than $2 a day. Many are illiterate, have
no access to electricity or sanitation and go to be hungry most nights. 1 in 3 children live
without adequate shelter and 1 in 5 have no access to safe water. Air pollution kills 4000
people a day and over 8 million children die each year from malnutrition and preventable
diseases.
Activity
Q TRUE OR FALSE
• The world's population is nearly 7 billion people of which
2.2 billion are children
• 1 billion children live in poverty
• 18,000 children die each day due to poverty
• 1.8 million children die of diarrhoea each year
• 25% of all children in developing countries are
underweight or stunted
• 20% of the world's population live without electricity
• 2.2 million children each year die because they are not
immunised
• Each year approximately 11 billion US dollars is spent on
ice cream in Europe
• 3 billion people live on less than $2.50 per day
• 70% of the world's population live on less than $10 a day
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What can be done?
You can only fight poverty if you know about it. Small acts can make a big difference.
World Vision’s 40hr famine
Make Poverty History Campaign
End Poverty 2015 Millennium Campaign
Antipoverty Week
United Nations World Food Program
Red Cross Appeal
Poverty in Australia
Although Australia does not have the same extreme level of
poverty as developing countries, 1 in 8 Australians live below the
poverty line and have difficulty meeting their basic needs. Groups
most at risk include the unemployed, singles over 65, Indigenous
Australians, lone-parent families and households reliant on social
security. People living in poverty have inadequate healthcare,
housing, education, employment opportunities and food. Some
people are force to skip meals, are unable to pay bills or rent on
time, have to pawn possessions, and regularly rely on assistance
from welfare or community organisations.
Resources Understanding Poverty
http://www.globalissues.org/article/26/poverty-facts-and-stats#src4
http://www.statisticbrain.com/world-poverty-statistics/
http://www.povertyprogram.com/statistics.php
http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/pdf/mdg2007.pdf
http://data.worldbank.org/indicator
What can we do to help people living in poverty?
http://www.wfp.org
http://www.makepovertyhistory.com.au
http://www.endpoverty2015.org
http://www.antipovertyweek.org.au
http://www.unicef.org
Videos
The Miniature Earth Project
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4639vev1Rw
200 Countries, 200 Years, 4 Minutes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbkSRLYSojo